Tonight I saw At Eternity's Gate, starring Willem Dafoe and Rupert Friend.
The famed painter Vincent Van Gogh (Dafoe) was not accepted as the artistic genius he was during his time on earth. The connection he felt to nature and the closeness he felt to his work weren't fully appreciated while he was alive, but this film aims to validate those aspects of his career.
Filmed on location in Arles, France, where Van Gogh spent his final weeks, Director/Co-Screenwriter Julian Schnabel puts the viewer in a stream-of-consciousness time machine that offers a glimpse of how the artist absorbed and visually shared his surroundings. A friend described the movie as "hypnotic" and that to me was the perfect interpretation of the vibe.
Dafoe, moving easily between English and French throughout the narrative, was captivating as the troubled painter. Aside from physically resembling the real artist (which undoubtedly helps), his manner, the confusion behind his eyes, his passion—it all made us viewers sure we were stealing an intimate look at one of the most fascinating characters in all of art history.
Though the pace is slow and the story not entirely linear (except that it's chronological), it keeps your attention, as you want to know why Van Gogh felt the things he felt and acted the way he did.
There's tragedy in the suffering his mental illness causes; there's sadness in the lack of recognition he received while he was in his prime, but most off all there's light in the beautiful landscapes and people he brought to life through his timeless paintings.
That's what's illuminated so magically in this film.
~~~
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Loving Vincent
Tonight I saw Loving Vincent, starring Douglas Booth and Saoirse Ronan.
Do everything in your power to see this in the theater if it's still available in your area. Seriously.
What Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and over 100 painters did is simply magnificent. They shot an entire movie—then painted over every frame (over 65,000 of them). So trust me when I say that you'll experience the first hand-painted full-length film in a much more immersive way if the images envelop you from the brilliance of a gigantic screen vs. a television or home theater.
The story picks up after the death of Vincent Van Gogh, when Armand Roulin (Booth), one of Van Gogh's subjects, attempts to solve the questions behind the famous artist's suicide (or murder, depending on what theory you believe) and travels to various scenes in the style of Van Gogh's works to do so. I'll admit I got so lost in the visuals that the dialog/plot points suffered for me, but perhaps if I watch it again, I'll pay more attention?
Probably not. But as a huge Van Gogh admirer, this was an incredible visual treat. It was as if all of the scenes I'd witnessed my entire life in museums and on postcards had come to life, straight from my mind's eye.
Of course, I was then preoccupied wondering (hoping) this technique gets explored via other artists too (Andrew Wyeth and Claude Monet would be my first choices, but I could also be happy with Georges Seurat if anyone's up for it).
I certainly hope this isn't the last we've seen of such beauty.
~~~
Do everything in your power to see this in the theater if it's still available in your area. Seriously.
What Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and over 100 painters did is simply magnificent. They shot an entire movie—then painted over every frame (over 65,000 of them). So trust me when I say that you'll experience the first hand-painted full-length film in a much more immersive way if the images envelop you from the brilliance of a gigantic screen vs. a television or home theater.
The story picks up after the death of Vincent Van Gogh, when Armand Roulin (Booth), one of Van Gogh's subjects, attempts to solve the questions behind the famous artist's suicide (or murder, depending on what theory you believe) and travels to various scenes in the style of Van Gogh's works to do so. I'll admit I got so lost in the visuals that the dialog/plot points suffered for me, but perhaps if I watch it again, I'll pay more attention?
Probably not. But as a huge Van Gogh admirer, this was an incredible visual treat. It was as if all of the scenes I'd witnessed my entire life in museums and on postcards had come to life, straight from my mind's eye.
Of course, I was then preoccupied wondering (hoping) this technique gets explored via other artists too (Andrew Wyeth and Claude Monet would be my first choices, but I could also be happy with Georges Seurat if anyone's up for it).
I certainly hope this isn't the last we've seen of such beauty.
~~~
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Tonight I attended the North American public premiere of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.
I'll start by saying this: I'm a huge Nirvana fan. I was the "right age" when they became famous, and Kurt Cobain's life and death have haunted me ever since. I knew that I would see any documentary that was ever made about him/the band; I had no idea I'd see one that moved me this much.
Director Brett Morgen, privy to unprecedented access to the Cobain family storage vault, traces the genesis of the grunge genius in this raw, unvarnished, unpretentious series of moments captured by various friends, family members and journalists.
Beginning with Kurt's mother Wendy, his entire life is constructed by memories of those who were closest to him—and by Kurt himself.
When so seamlessly weaved together as they are here, the stages of his soul's progress are jarring. What begins as a picture perfect life for a boisterous blond baby soon becomes a cloud of shame for a child embarrassed by his parents' divorce. His energy—instead of being channeled into the music and art he was so good at—instead turns to mischief and darkness as he bounces from home to home, feeling rejected at each stop.
His family loved him, but he was out of control. Fortunately he found a good girlfriend to float him through periods of unemployment and allow him to perfect his creative crafts: writing, drawing, playing the guitar and singing. Unfortunately, he also learned to self-medicate his chronic stomach pain with heroin. And alcohol, and marijuana, etc.
Then along came Nirvana, and later Courtney Love, and the rest is music history.
The film shows us many things we already knew about Cobain, but what makes it special is how it conveys the things we didn't. Kurt's glorious innocence and sweetness as a toddler; his tender love for his wife; his sophisticated cries for help masked by elaborate artwork; his absolute dedication to being a better father than the one he had.
There was an innate kindness to Kurt that many spoke of in interviews after he passed, but here we get to witness it first-hand, from the little boy trying to feed the ceramic turtle his saltine cracker, to the proud papa throwing himself all over the room to make his infant daughter giggle.
It's painful to think that if his family unit had remained intact or if he hadn't been the victim of ridicule as a teenager that he may not have become an addict and could be alive today.
But there's also the chance that if his young life had been more conventional, he may never have been driven to express himself so deeply, or ever have shared his gifts with the world. And as tragic as it is, his passing brought awareness about the evils of drug use and the senselessness of suicide to the masses.
There has never been a more beautiful sacrificial lamb.
~~~
I'll start by saying this: I'm a huge Nirvana fan. I was the "right age" when they became famous, and Kurt Cobain's life and death have haunted me ever since. I knew that I would see any documentary that was ever made about him/the band; I had no idea I'd see one that moved me this much.
Director Brett Morgen, privy to unprecedented access to the Cobain family storage vault, traces the genesis of the grunge genius in this raw, unvarnished, unpretentious series of moments captured by various friends, family members and journalists.
Beginning with Kurt's mother Wendy, his entire life is constructed by memories of those who were closest to him—and by Kurt himself.
When so seamlessly weaved together as they are here, the stages of his soul's progress are jarring. What begins as a picture perfect life for a boisterous blond baby soon becomes a cloud of shame for a child embarrassed by his parents' divorce. His energy—instead of being channeled into the music and art he was so good at—instead turns to mischief and darkness as he bounces from home to home, feeling rejected at each stop.
His family loved him, but he was out of control. Fortunately he found a good girlfriend to float him through periods of unemployment and allow him to perfect his creative crafts: writing, drawing, playing the guitar and singing. Unfortunately, he also learned to self-medicate his chronic stomach pain with heroin. And alcohol, and marijuana, etc.
Then along came Nirvana, and later Courtney Love, and the rest is music history.
The film shows us many things we already knew about Cobain, but what makes it special is how it conveys the things we didn't. Kurt's glorious innocence and sweetness as a toddler; his tender love for his wife; his sophisticated cries for help masked by elaborate artwork; his absolute dedication to being a better father than the one he had.
There was an innate kindness to Kurt that many spoke of in interviews after he passed, but here we get to witness it first-hand, from the little boy trying to feed the ceramic turtle his saltine cracker, to the proud papa throwing himself all over the room to make his infant daughter giggle.
It's painful to think that if his family unit had remained intact or if he hadn't been the victim of ridicule as a teenager that he may not have become an addict and could be alive today.
But there's also the chance that if his young life had been more conventional, he may never have been driven to express himself so deeply, or ever have shared his gifts with the world. And as tragic as it is, his passing brought awareness about the evils of drug use and the senselessness of suicide to the masses.
There has never been a more beautiful sacrificial lamb.
~~~
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Mortdecai
Tonight I screened Mortdecai, starring Johnny Depp and Ewan McGregor.
Art dealer Charlie Mortdecai (Depp) is going broke and in danger of losing his luxurious estate. To keep wifey Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow) happy, he agrees to work with rival Martland (McGregor) to try to help recover a prized painting.
Along the way, he's confronted by many others who are hungry for the artwork and faces grave danger each step of the way. Luckily, he has backup in his "man servant" (Paul Bettany) along with his endless wit.
Sound ridiculous? Well, it is ... but it's supposed to be. And if you can embrace the absurd and hang on for the ride (which takes you from London to Russia to America and back again), the charms of the leading men and the fast pace of the caper will delight you.
~~~
Art dealer Charlie Mortdecai (Depp) is going broke and in danger of losing his luxurious estate. To keep wifey Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow) happy, he agrees to work with rival Martland (McGregor) to try to help recover a prized painting.
Along the way, he's confronted by many others who are hungry for the artwork and faces grave danger each step of the way. Luckily, he has backup in his "man servant" (Paul Bettany) along with his endless wit.
Sound ridiculous? Well, it is ... but it's supposed to be. And if you can embrace the absurd and hang on for the ride (which takes you from London to Russia to America and back again), the charms of the leading men and the fast pace of the caper will delight you.
~~~
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Big Eyes
Today I saw Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz.
Margaret Keane (Adams) was a single mother in the 50s when she met her second husband Walter (Waltz). They shared a love for art and quickly made a home together in San Francisco celebrating their creativity.
Margaret's signature style of painting included somber children with large eyes, as she claimed eyes were a "window to the soul." Walter instead created city landscapes of his travels.
They both struggled to sell their works until Walter convinced a local nightclub owner to display them, and patrons begin clamoring for her portraits.
This doesn't sit well with the egotistical Walter, so he begins to pass the paintings off as his own, and when they become a cash cow practically overnight, his greed only gets worse. He forbids his wife to reveal their secret and commissions her talent as if she was a factory worker, churning out loaves of bread.
She resents him for this, but dutifully keeps her mouth shut and continues to produce her art.
The film shows this absurd, true-life journey in a kaleidoscope of gorgeous Tim Burton hues. Cars that pop, lipstick that traces every sigh and of course the myriad of paintings that haunt anyone who observes them.
Adams is a pillar of pent-up pain and Waltz is a charming son-of-a-bitch who you alternately love and hate—though he only deserves your pity.
Oscar-caliber performances for sure, set against a gorgeous, retro Viewmaster palette, make for a satisfying delight of a movie.
A work of art in itself.
~~~
Margaret Keane (Adams) was a single mother in the 50s when she met her second husband Walter (Waltz). They shared a love for art and quickly made a home together in San Francisco celebrating their creativity.
Margaret's signature style of painting included somber children with large eyes, as she claimed eyes were a "window to the soul." Walter instead created city landscapes of his travels.
They both struggled to sell their works until Walter convinced a local nightclub owner to display them, and patrons begin clamoring for her portraits.
This doesn't sit well with the egotistical Walter, so he begins to pass the paintings off as his own, and when they become a cash cow practically overnight, his greed only gets worse. He forbids his wife to reveal their secret and commissions her talent as if she was a factory worker, churning out loaves of bread.
She resents him for this, but dutifully keeps her mouth shut and continues to produce her art.
The film shows this absurd, true-life journey in a kaleidoscope of gorgeous Tim Burton hues. Cars that pop, lipstick that traces every sigh and of course the myriad of paintings that haunt anyone who observes them.
Adams is a pillar of pent-up pain and Waltz is a charming son-of-a-bitch who you alternately love and hate—though he only deserves your pity.
Oscar-caliber performances for sure, set against a gorgeous, retro Viewmaster palette, make for a satisfying delight of a movie.
A work of art in itself.
~~~
Friday, April 11, 2014
Finding Vivian Maier
Tonight I saw the documentary Finding Vivian Maier.
Part hoarder, part loaner, part voyeur, part genius—Vivian Maier was comprised of many things. Like the photos that are now making her famous, there was a raw, yet mysterious, aspect to her persona, which she guarded her whole life like a national secret.
The film chronicles how a student hoping to find historical photos for an assignment purchased a storage locker full of negatives and stumbled on a treasure trove of never-before-seen brilliant images. All of the pictures were taken (and hidden) by Vivian, a nanny who bounced from family to family all of her adult life.
As the student dug deeper and deeper into her past, he discovered a tragic soul—described as everything from eccentric to angry. What was so remarkable about uncovering the photos was that none of the people who knew her realized that they existed. Sure, they saw her with her camera around her neck, and the children remember being photographed and filmed, but no one had any idea her catalog boasted thousands of museum-quality shots. Some which Vivian herself never had the privilege of viewing.
The film emphasizes Maier's "stern spinster" status, but she was so much more complex than that. As one of the former children she cared for points out in the film, Vivian probably suffered from mental illness, but that didn't dim her gift for creativity and her technique for capturing wonderful moments on film.
It's a wonderful way to spotlight the legacy of someone who didn't crave fame, but most certainly needed validation.
To view some of Maier's work, visit her official website.
~~~
Part hoarder, part loaner, part voyeur, part genius—Vivian Maier was comprised of many things. Like the photos that are now making her famous, there was a raw, yet mysterious, aspect to her persona, which she guarded her whole life like a national secret.
The film chronicles how a student hoping to find historical photos for an assignment purchased a storage locker full of negatives and stumbled on a treasure trove of never-before-seen brilliant images. All of the pictures were taken (and hidden) by Vivian, a nanny who bounced from family to family all of her adult life.
As the student dug deeper and deeper into her past, he discovered a tragic soul—described as everything from eccentric to angry. What was so remarkable about uncovering the photos was that none of the people who knew her realized that they existed. Sure, they saw her with her camera around her neck, and the children remember being photographed and filmed, but no one had any idea her catalog boasted thousands of museum-quality shots. Some which Vivian herself never had the privilege of viewing.
The film emphasizes Maier's "stern spinster" status, but she was so much more complex than that. As one of the former children she cared for points out in the film, Vivian probably suffered from mental illness, but that didn't dim her gift for creativity and her technique for capturing wonderful moments on film.
It's a wonderful way to spotlight the legacy of someone who didn't crave fame, but most certainly needed validation.
To view some of Maier's work, visit her official website.
~~~
Sunday, March 09, 2014
Tim's Vermeer
Today I saw the documentary Tim's Vermeer.
Tim Jenison is a longtime friend of Penn & Teller. When they learned that he had developed an obsession for determining whether or not famous Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer used technology to create his works, they decided to film the process.
The result is this funny, smart, captivating film.
Jenison, so certain that British artist David Hockney is on to something with his theory that some of history's finest artists used camera obscura techniques to complete their paintings, decides to take the idea one step further and teach himself how to paint with that process.
Using a homemade mirror-on-a-stick contraption, he tests his skills and it works. Next, he decides to go full on and renovate a warehouse in San Antonio to look just as Vermeer's studio would have looked, painstakingly re-creating the windows, objects, floors—and people from The Music Lesson. He also mixes the paints the way Vermeer would have had to in the 1600s for the most authentic match possible.
Then, for several months, Tim paints. He paints every inch of his canvas in the exact way that he proposes the original artist did. What he discovers along the way had the audience I sat with gasping in wonder and delight.
I won't spoil the ending and tell you what his conclusion came to be, but I will say that I never dreamed that watching paint dry could be so entertaining.
~~~
Tim Jenison is a longtime friend of Penn & Teller. When they learned that he had developed an obsession for determining whether or not famous Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer used technology to create his works, they decided to film the process.
The result is this funny, smart, captivating film.
Jenison, so certain that British artist David Hockney is on to something with his theory that some of history's finest artists used camera obscura techniques to complete their paintings, decides to take the idea one step further and teach himself how to paint with that process.
Using a homemade mirror-on-a-stick contraption, he tests his skills and it works. Next, he decides to go full on and renovate a warehouse in San Antonio to look just as Vermeer's studio would have looked, painstakingly re-creating the windows, objects, floors—and people from The Music Lesson. He also mixes the paints the way Vermeer would have had to in the 1600s for the most authentic match possible.
Then, for several months, Tim paints. He paints every inch of his canvas in the exact way that he proposes the original artist did. What he discovers along the way had the audience I sat with gasping in wonder and delight.
I won't spoil the ending and tell you what his conclusion came to be, but I will say that I never dreamed that watching paint dry could be so entertaining.
~~~
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